seen Daniel training? No, he never puts in the effort. Set your goal, work hard toward it if that is what
you really want, and you will certainly make it.
“Finally,” said Grandpa, “you know I play golf now. My aim is not to beat others, but improve
my own score. Top athletes talk about competing against themselves rather than others, or about im-
proving their own personal best. In training, aim for your best. That’s what matters most for your
own satisfaction.”
Grandpa’s words inspired Thomas. He wanted to do his best, so he began to train, getting up
early every morning and practicing. He watched top athletes being interviewed on TV, and, after
Grandpa’s talk, realized how much effort they put into becoming the best. He noticed that they of-
ten carried water bottles with them. That, he thought, was a good idea, and he always kept one in
his school bag. He drank plenty.
Well, Thomas got selected for the football team, but that wasn’t the grand championship for
which he had been training. It was a couple of weeks after he asked his grandpa’s advice that he asked
Grandpa to take him and his friends for a walk along the Bibbulmum Track to stay at Hewitt’s Hill
Hut. This was to be the site of the grand championship.
They cooked on a campfire, toasted marshmallows on sticks they had whittled, and played spot-
light in the dark. They watched the moon rise, then snuggled into their sleeping bags full of antici-
pation. The grand championship was to be held in the morning. Thomas had prepared himself, he’d
drunk constantly from his water bottle all that day, and even sipped on it when he awoke during the
night. He had certainly been training.
First thing in the morning, before Grandpa awoke, Thomas led his friends out into the woods
because here, near Hewitt’s Hill Hut, was the tallest granite outcrop that he knew. It was the day of
the grand championship: to see who could pee the farthest. Thomas had been practicing holding back
as long as possible. Now he was ready. He let fly. He won. He was the Grand Champion. He peed
the farthest he had ever done.
That night when they had walked out of the woods and returned to Grandpa’s house, Thomas
gave his grandpa a big hug. “Thanks for teaching me the secrets of success,” he said with a smile his
grandpa could only begin to wonder about.
172 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories
EXERCISE 10.1
What are the life skills that your child or adolescent clients want or need to develop? These
may vary if you are working in a pediatric medical clinic, educational setting, private therapy
practice, childhood disability agency, adolescent drug clinic, family court counseling service,
or juvenile judicial system.■ Make a list of the life skills specific to your clients.
■ Jot down story ideas for the development of each skill.
■ Ensure your stories include realistic, practical, and replicable means for the acquisi-
tion of those life skills.